This is what indicates the last report released publicly, Tuesday May 16, by the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Niger.
Since the beginning of the year, returns have increased. In January, 8424 migrants came back against 6524 migrants leaving. In February, there were 27 239 migrants who returned while only 6329 left Niger.
According to the report, incoming migrants observed at the flow follow-up point in Séguédine in March, continued to be outnumber outflows.
“This trend can be explained by the fact that migrants use roads that bypass the flow follow-up point to go to Libya in order to avoid being intercepted. However migrants who are returning from Libya don’t run this risk and so pass by the follow-up point. With regard to migrants going in the direction of Algeria, the outflows are higher than inflows”, specifies the document.
The number of migrants who have tried to pass the border with Libya or Algeria from the Agadez region, is on the decline since the adoption of the law against the traffic of migrants by the Niger government in May 2016. Several smugglers and migrants transport vehicles were arrested in Agadez.
Among the deterrent factors, there is violence which migrants are victims of. “Some migrants reported, after they left Libya, to have been victims of exploitation and treatments that can lead to death in the event of non-payment of ransom demanded from close relatives of migrants through criminal networks”, said the report.
Augustin K. FodouTranslated by Mahaitou Ibrahim Maiga